Flower holder



March 24, 1936. c B, f- R 2,035,001

FLOWER HOLDER Filed March 20, 1934 I I, 58V TOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 24, 1936 EJNETED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to flower holders and is herein illustrated as embodied in small lead units adapted to fit together to build up larger and heavier units to support larger and heavier flowers or tree branches.

Flower holders of many materials have been long in use, but have had limited utility because they often would not hold enough flowers, or if sufiiciently large to hold a desired number of flowers at one time, were too large and conspicuous to be satisfactory for a small number of flowers. Moreover, many flower holders, often used, are not heavy enough to safely hold flowers with high stalks. In fact, care had often to be used in setting up flowers with stalks no longer than dafiodils in small flower holders to be certain the holder would not tip over under the weight of several overhanging stalks.

According to the present invention these and other difficulties are overcome by making flower holders of lead in small but interlocking units or adapted to fit on top of each other. It is found that the weight and friction of the lead in a properly designed holder are sufficient to hold two small superposed units in place, giving the stability of a single large and heavy holder. Thus one set of holders may serve two uses in this way. The set of holders may also be used as separate units in separate vases, or may be placed lengthwise, or in other ways, against each other in a long flower dish. Used thus, holders only one inch high may hold daffodils or taller flowers safely, and yet are short enough to hold violets for the best effects from them. The superposed holders are well adapted for roses.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one kind of unit of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of another kind of unit.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing two units of each of Figures 1 and 2 assembled to form a single large unit.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing three units of other kinds set in something like a row.

Figure 5 is a sectional side View on the line 55 of Figure 4.

The unit shown in Figure 1 was made from 1 inch lengths ll] of pure lead pipe one inch outside diameter and about an eighth of an inch thick. Each length was flared with a lip II at one end, before further work, to make it about an inch and an eighth outside diameter and then three lengths were soldered against each other by a mass of solder I2 which filled up the opening between where the three lengths touched each other and also was extended at l3 to fill up the crack which would otherwise be seen from the outside between each pair of lengths I0.

To make the unit shown in Figure 1, the flared tops were placed substantially in contact for the soldering, and the flat bottoms were set in a single plane so the unit would rest evenly on a flat surface. The central space between the three lengths was filled solid with solder.

In the hands of a skillful workman it is often more satisfactory to burn the lengths together with lead, and it is cheaper to cast such units in a single piece.

The unit shown in Figure 2 was made of identical flared lengths l of lead pipe, but the lengths were soldered together throughout their length at 14 to form four sides of a hexagon, the solder at the points i5 where the lengths touch lips H rounding out to a smooth curve, and worked in along the space It to fill the opening which would otherwise show, and additionally rounded to a smooth curve I6 which merges into the surface of the pipe length l0.

When properly formed, the unit of Figure 1 fits intothe unit of Figure 2 as shown at Figure 3, so that one outer surface ll of a flared lip ll of the unit of Figure l wedges with a little friction against the inwardly projecting surfaces ll of the flared lips ll of the two pipe lengths l8 and I9 which form the ends of the unit of Figure 2. As a result the units when placed together as in Figure 3, hold to each other with almost the stability of a single seven pipe unit, because the friction at the contacting surfaces ll holds the smaller units together and each steadies the other, both by contributing its weight and by providing an enlarged base. Two units of Figure 2 also hold to each other to form a holder of another shape.

Figure 3 shows the two units of Figures 1 and 2 superposed on two similar units, the lower units being inverted so their flared lips rest on the support (not shown). It is found that the superposed units, as shown in Figure 3, owing to the weight and friction of the lead, have substantially the stability of a solid unit made of seven 2-inch lengths of lead pipe, and are able to hold upright almost any flowers or tree branches which will fit into the pipe openings.

In Figure 4 is shown a group of three units placed together to form a flower holder suitable to sit in a long dish. The five two-inch high lead pipe lengths 20, 2|, 22, 23, and 24, of pipe about three-quarter inches in outside diameter, alternate with five lead pipe lengths 25, 26, 21, 28, and 29, of similar pipe, but about an inch and a half high. In the form shown all these pipe lengths have flared top lips and are soldered to each other at their bottoms and to the outside of a length of lead pipe 30, about an inch high and one and one-half inches internal diameter, which may flare slightly.

The bottoms of the lengths 20, 2|, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 21, 28, and 29 are shown as also soldered to each other, but in this form of the invention sufficient stability is obtained for the flowers the holder will accommodate without weighting the unit by extra solder. For this and other reasons the small diameter pipe lengths are soldered to the large length 30 only at the line of contact with the large length 30, and sometimes only near their tops and bottoms on that line.

This circular unit of varied or alternating high and low flower-receiving pipe-lengths, also provides room for another holder or small vase within the pipe length 30. These pipe lengths or holes are well adapted to hold stocks.

Figure 4 illustrates the circular unit of lengths 20, 2|, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 21, 28, and 29, standing between two separate substantially semi-circular units, each made by soldering together at their tops and bottoms five one-inch lengths 31 of the same pipe used for length 29. These two units may be placed as artistic flanking extensions of the circular unit, or, placed together to form a circle, they may serve as a base to support the circular unit, each pipe length 3! aligning with the pipe length 20 or 2 I, etc. as the case may be.

If desired bottoms may be provided for any pipe length, so that it serves as a vase to hold water for the flowers. The holders have been described as made of lead because the metal lead helps to preserve the flowers, and because its weight enables strings of holes of many forms out of a straight line to provide adequate sta bility or weight to hold the flowers they carry. If its dull color when oxidized is objected to, the bright color of fresh cut lead may be preserved by coating with Vaseline or with white shellac varnish. Other metals are useful for special purposes.

Having thus described certain embodiments of the invention, What is claimed is:

1. A flower holder consisting of two or more superposable pairs of interengageable units, each unit consisting of a non-rectilinear series of substantially vertical lead pipes, portions of the outer vertical'surfaces of adjacent pipes of said series being connected together directly and immediately, each pipe having a flared lip at one end, said pipe being of length short enough to hold violets but of material thick and heavy enough to hold roses.

2. A flower holder consisting of two or more superposable pairs of interengageable units, each unit consisting of a. non-rectilinear series of substantially vertical lead pipes, portions of the outer vertical surfaces of adjacent pipes of said series being connected together directly and immediately, said pipes being of length short enough to hold violets but of material thick and heavy enough to hold roses.

3. A flower holder consisting of a non-rectilinear series of substantially vertical lead pipes, portions of the outer vertical surfaces of adjacent pipes of said series being connected together directly and immediately, another different nonrectilinear series of substantially vertical lead pipes, portions of the outer vertical surfaces of adjacent pipes of said other series being connected together directly and immediately, all said pipes being of length short enough to hold violets but of material thick and heavy enough to hold roses, said two series adapted to fit into each other to form a unit.

CHARLOTTE BLISS TABER. 

